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European Centre @ POLIS

Department of Politics and International Studies
 

Anti-politics of the Scottish referendum

           

19 September, by Chris J Bickerton

 

The opinion polls had suggested the result would be too close to call, but when the referendum on Scottish independence finally took place on 18 September, the voting showed a more definitive outcome — 55% against independence, 45% for. First Minister and SNP (Scottish National Party) leader Alex Salmond had called the campaign a “festival of democracy” and in recent weeks the British media have focused on little else. All commentators agreed that new political energy has come from the referendum and certainly the turnout in Scotland was at historically high levels: 97% of the population registered for the referendum and just under 85% actually cast their vote. Yet for all that, there was a strongly anti-political basis to all that passionate campaigning.

For the rest of the article please see Le Monde diplomatique, the English Edition: http://mondediplo.com/blogs/anti-politics-of-the-scottish-referendum.